Bargad Fellowship Empowers Aspiring Theatre Artists with Free Training and Monthly Stipends

Bargad, a theatre fellowship founded in 2025 by Amba-Suhasini K Jhala and Anirudh Nair, alongside Sanyukta Saha and Shambhavi Singh, is transforming access to performing arts by offering free training and a monthly stipend. This initiative directly addresses the financial barriers faced by aspiring artists like Lalit, whose family questioned the viability of a career in theatre. Lalit joined Bargad's inaugural cohort of 14 fellows in January 2025, finding an opportunity to pursue his passion without financial strain.

Co-founder Amba, having trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, recognized the "heavy gatekeeping" in performing arts often shaped by caste and privilege. Anirudh's own experience with a play on the Criminal Tribes Act 10 years prior highlighted systemic inequalities. Bargad's practical solution involves making training free and providing a stipend, with the first two cohorts receiving ₹10,000 monthly, increasing to ₹15,000 for the third cohort starting January 2027. Classes run six days a week from 4 pm to 8:30 pm, allowing fellows to earn during the day, making the opportunity accessible to those who are financial contributors to their families. Lalit noted the stipend provided him newfound financial independence for travel, books, and necessities.

Bargad challenges the notion that a lack of formal training equates to a lack of ability, with applications growing from approximately 75 to 200. A rigorous, multi-stage audition process selects 14 fellows for a six-month curriculum covering voice, movement, acting, improvisation, writing, and devising. This small batch size ensures close mentorship and a safe space for experimentation. Fellows like Prerna Bisht, who joined in 2026, have found liberation by transforming personal experiences into theatrical material through workshops led by practitioners like Neel Chaudhuri.

Beyond the fellowship, Bargad offers "Bargad ka Chabutra," a six-month alumni program with masterclasses and production grants. Lalit's cohort utilized a ₹1 lakh grant to develop "Hawa Mahal," a full-length play on manual scavenging, from a 15-minute scene, which garnered audience appreciation across six performances. While affordable staging remains a challenge, Bargad is building a network of spaces and resources, with alumni achieving further success, including National School of Drama admissions and scholarships. The program's future hinges on securing long-term partners to ensure sustainability beyond individual donors, enabling ambitions for year-long courses, touring productions, and larger bursaries, ultimately fostering a new generation of confident, empowered theatre artists.

Why it matters: Bargad is creating equitable pathways for diverse voices to thrive in Indian theatre.

Editor's note: Captures the essence of the Bargad fellowship profile, detailing its founders, structure, and impact.